First of all, I have to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for being so sweet about my pregnancy announcement! Sharing that news with you all just made this pregnancy feel so real. I also loved learning that so many of you are pregnant right now too. I feel like it’s going to be so fun to share these updates with you all and also be able to get your advice on different things. Even though I had Augustine 2 years ago, a lot has changed since then. Like did you know there’s a breast pump that you can put in your bra? Crazy right?!

Today I thought I’d share my first trimester updates with you, from how I found out, when I started to show, how I felt, and most importantly, what we’re going to do about finding out the gender this time around! I hope you enjoy this post!

 All My First Trimester Updates!

How I Found Out

Matthew and I had been talking more and more about when we wanted to start trying for another baby. For the longest time, we really didn’t feel ready. Maybe it was because Augustine has had a tough road to sleep, meaning we’ve had a tough road to sleep as well. The thought of another little one just seemed so overwhelming.

This summer, though, we felt more ready. I remember taking a pregnancy test thinking it was going to be positive and then it wasn’t. Of course I told my best friend Lizzie right away since she was on pregnancy watch! Then, the next day, Augustine and I were playing with the thermometer and we were taking each other’s temperatures. I took his, normal, and then I took mine, high! I think it was 99.4 degrees. I immediately thought that was a little odd because I felt completely fine and we were in the summer months so I wasn’t worried about getting the flu. I noticed over the course of the day that my stomach was having cramps which I normally would have attributed as a PMS symptom, but I remember that this happened when I was newly pregnant with Augustine as well.

I took a pregnancy test the next morning, when the lines are supposed to be darkest, and almost immediately I saw 1 strong control line and 1 faint positive line. I kept it in all day because I didn’t want to get Matthew’s hopes up. The first person I told was actually Augustine. Maybe that was wrong but I figured he couldn’t tell anyone and even if something happened he probably wouldn’t remember. Plus I was just so excited! I said, “I think you might be having a brother or sister soon!” and he looked at me and nodded his head with wide, excited eyes. This boy is so smart, I’m telling you! It made me so happy because what I’ve been most excited about is having a little buddy for my sweet buddy!

I took another test the following night and when both lines showed up dark I told Matthew. I said something like, “Well it’s a good thing we drank that wine the other night!” We had opened a bottle that we were both really excited about {a Pinot Noir from Babcock}. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from Matthew but I definitely didn’t think he would be as excited as he was. He totally lit up though and came over and gave me the biggest hug! Matthew is such an incredible dad and seeing him in this role really just solidifies why I married him. He’s kind, loving, sensitive, understanding and so supportive. Both these little ones are so lucky to have him!

And by the way, if I hadn’t taken a test that early I would have found out quickly because I popped this time. I swear I had a mini bump by 6 weeks. It’s amazing how your body knows just what to do!

How I’ve Been Feeling

My first trimester felt a lot similar to my first trimester with Augustine. I didn’t get any morning sickness but boy, oh boy, was I tired! I remember during the early weeks just laying on the floor {once on the kitchen floor!}, completely drained of energy. In the late mornings, I would be on the couch asking Augustine to bring me a book to read to him because I just couldn’t be up and playing with him. He was such a good sport and would even play with toys in the living room while I was on the couch, or he’d look out the window. Not having the chance to sleep as much as I did the first time around was hard, but luckily Matthew was also a big help to me.

Luckily, I haven’t had as crazy breakouts as I did with Augustine. With Augustine, my skin looked like it did when I was 13…not good!  This time, I’ve had a few pimples but nothing colossal. Perhaps it’s my skincare routine right now, or maybe my body has just regulated to the hormones already.

Cravings/Aversions

I don’t feel like I’ve had any cravings, or real interest in food, which has actually been a little weird for me. Typically, for me, my days are all about what I’m eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I borderline obsess over food!I didn’t have any real appetite, but if I didn’t eat every 2 hours I would start to feel really sick. So in came a lot of carbs! In fact, I feel like I ate pretty poorly in my first trimester, which kind of bums me out but I couldn’t help it. There were grilled cheese nights, mac and cheese nights, just bread nights. Not the most nutritious, unfortunately, and definitely not reflective of my typical diet.  Things have been getting better though, and now I’m onto my caesar salad cravings. I need to share Matthew’s egg-free Caesar dressing recipe soon because it is so incredibly good!

One thing that seems a little out of the ordinary is that I have no sweet tooth, even into my second trimester. That is so weird for me. I’m the kind of girl that can’t just eat one cookie, I’ll eat 5… and 1 for breakfast too! When I was pregnant with Augustine, I craved chocolate chip cookies and sweets of all kinds, which was normal for me. This time, I feel indifferent to them. I’ve actually had my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe ready to go, frozen in balls in the freezer, and I’ve had no interest in cooking them. So uncharacteristic of me.

Finding out the Gender

If you remember, after going back and forth the first time, we decided to keep the gender a surprise. Honestly, I loved having the surprise, and would highly recommend it to anyone considering it. It made that moment during delivery so much more special! Matthew wasn’t as big of a fan of the surprise, even though he appreciated it, but he made me promise that the next time we’d find out. I was all about trying to convince him to have the surprise again because, like the first time, I’d be happy either way. A boy would mean a brother for Augustine, and a girl would mean a girl! My mother-in-law made a great point though that it might be nice to know beforehand, in case I’m thinking I’m having one gender in particular.  She said dealing with those feelings postpartum, in her experience, can be a lot more challenging. Since I did suffer from some postpartum baby blues, I can totally see what she means. What if I think I’m having a girl and go through the whole pregnancy thinking that, only to find out I was having a boy. {P.S. everyone is saying girl which isn’t helping!}. This way, finding out now will allow me to be really excited and also prep. If I’m having a boy I can get Augustine’s old clothes out and get excited about him having a brother, which would be the best thing ever and probably my choice if I could pick. I know God knows best though and whatever He gives us will be so incredibly loved and cherished!! I think it will be nice for Augustine to adjust too though and be more mentally prepared for what’s ahead. And maybe I can convince Matthew to do a fun gender reveal. wink wink! {If you’ve seen any cute ones, send them my way!}

I hope you all enjoyed reading a little bit about my first trimester updates! I can’t wait to share more of this 2nd pregnancy journey with you over the coming months. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them for me below. Also, let me know if there’s any pregnancy content, in particular, that you’re interested in. I’d love to know so I can plan some posts with your requests in mind!

Thank you all again for your love and support. It means the world to us! You all have become like family to me over the past 9 years and your comments/emails/messages always brighten my day. Thank you for celebrating this wonderful life moment with us!

xox

P.S. Unfortunately the dress I’m wearing here is sold out, but I love this similar style that I wore for my first pregnancy announcement!

photos by Vanessa Lentine